How Did We End Up Here?
by KDanceWriteDream
Summary: Past experiences always have an impact on who we are today. This is a series of one-shots that happen before the movie, and explain just how Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos came to be so independent, and so skeptical of people's true intentions.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! So this is a series of one shots about the four descendants lives before the movie, basically how they got to be how they are (hence the title). I know many of you wanted a sequel to** _ **Like Mother Like Daughter…Or Not**_ **, but right now I am not ready to commit full time to a story. This will be different, quick storylines about their lives and prompts/suggestions are very much welcomed and appreciated! Now for the technical stuff…**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Descendants characters or the Descendants storyline. I only own the story lines that I come up with unless stated otherwise.**

 **Rating: Teen, deals heavily with child abuse/violence.**

"Get out! Don't come back until you have mastered lesson four!" Maleficent's raging voice bounces of the cracking, rotting walls of the loft that looms ominously over the streets of the Isle of the Lost. Nine year old Mal tries to hide in her room, thrusting a change of clothes, the spell book, and a hairbrush into her moth eaten bag.  
With one last look at her door, half expecting it to crash down by the force of her mother's anger, she climbs out of the window, sliding skillfully down the banister of the balcony. Her face throbs against the blistering wind, a fresh cut slicing through her cheek gathering who knows what diseases from the germ infected air.  
Mal runs through the familiar streets, not even thinking as she runs around corners, ducking under tarps and caravans in order to reach her best friend, Evie's, house where she lived with her mother, the Evil Queen.  
When she reaches the tower almost identical to her own, Mal grasps the rails of the ladder hanging there specifically for times like these. She swings from side to side, climbing up the dangerous rope. But isn't this what her mother is raising her to be? Evil and cruel like she is?  
Finally, Mal is at the top railing, where the rope is hanging from. A light glow is shining behind the tattered window curtains, and a shadow figure can be seen huddled over a desk. Still hanging onto the rope, the purple haired descendant taps three times on the window, not too loud, so that the evil queen doesn't hear her, but loud enough so Evie knows she is out there. Within seconds, the shapeless figure pulls back the curtain without any hesitation. Dressed in a blue nightgown, the shade almost identical to her blue hair, Evie stands before her best friends, pulling the wounded girl in through the window.  
"Mal, what happened?" She asks, worry coating her voice. Like Mal, Evie has a certain level of rottenness that she can reach. She thinks she wants to be like her mother, but deep down, she isn't so sure. Especially when it comes to her friends.  
Mal throws her bag to the floor when she is safely inside of the bedroom, and collapses onto the lumpy mattress. "I may or may not have fell asleep trying to learn this spell that turns people in pigs. My mom had me up all last night practicing, I hadn't slept in twenty four hours... I was exhausted."  
While getting out disinfectant spray, a rare item that only comes once every few months from Auradon (With the help of their other friends, they were able to steal it from one of the cargo ships), Evie tosses a semi-clean cloth over to Mal. Pointing a perfectly manicured finger at her cheek, she asks, "And I assume that was your punishment?" There is no surprise in her voice, this kind of stuff happens on a daily basis, to at least one of them. Mal always got the most of it, her mother being the 'Goddess of Evil', but Evie, Jay, and Carlos got their share too. Between the four of them, it felt as though Evie was always applying the concealer, a gift from her mother, on their faces to cover the visible bruises. You don't even want to know how many there are under the leather pants and gold studded vests.  
Mal shrugs, "It's not too bad," she presses the cloth up against the cut, cringing when the pressure is applied. No matter how much she hurt, she would never admit it.  
"Mhmm," Evie gives her an incredulous look, but drops the subject. Her own jaw is still a light green from a bruise she received last week. Evie sprays the disinfectant spray onto the raw area, watching the bacteria turn white from the chemicals before wiping it all off and applying a band aid that would be removed before school tomorrow. "Do you want to stay the night? Did your mom tell you when you could come back?"  
Mal gives her friend a weary smile, "Do you mind? I don't want to if you are going to get in trouble." For two nine year olds, they are both very mature. They will always be there for each other, it's just the way it is.  
Joining Mal on the bed, Evie pulls her into a hug, "Of course not. We can leave early in the morning and try and find something to eat. Don't worry about me, okay?"  
The girls slowly settle in, Mal changing into a pair of Evie's comfier clothes and Evie cleaning up her desk where she was working on a project for school. Soon, they are both on the bed next to each other, huddled under the thin blanket, trying to keep warm. In the silence of the room, the only sounds to be heard are the occasional car alarm going off outside, and the burst of a firework from across the barrier over in Auradon.  
"E?" Mal asks quietly, being careful to not wake her up if she is sleeping.  
Evie turns over on her side, "Yeah?"  
"Do you... Do you ever wish that this wasn't our life? Like if we were born in Auradon and didn't have to live like this?" This question bothered Mal more than she cares to admit, but voicing it suddenly makes it all seem too true.  
Evie stares at the ceiling, wondering what her answer might be. "Sometimes. But then I remember that when we take over Auradon, that will be us. And also, if our lives weren't like this, I wouldn't have met you, or Carlos, or Jay. And that would definitely stink." Under the blanket, Evie intertwines her fingers with Mal, grasping them tightly. "Keep your chin up, it will all be better soon. Just wait."

 **So that was the first "chapter"/ one-shot. I hope you all enjoyed and please don't forget to follow, favorite, review, or PM me with suggestions for new topics! Thanks for reading!**

 **~KDanceWriteDream**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who followed, reviewed, and favorited the first chapter. It is great to see support so early in the story. Hope you enjoy the next segment!**

 **Mal**

"You idiot! Give me my bag back!" Evie and I watch from the side of the back "parking lot" if you can even call it that. It is a little area behind Dragon Hall, the school that all of the kids on the Isle attended, where the trash from the cafeteria were dumped. It is also the place where we like to hang out until it is time for us to return to our respective homes. Jay is dodging Carlos, grinning wildly as he keeps the tattered potions textbook from the shorter boy's reach.

"Jay, just give it to him," Evie shouts from my side in between fits of laughter. A small smirk emerges on my lips, watching everyone be so care free and happy in the absence of our parents. It almost makes it all worth it.  
"No way! I have to teach this kid a lesson!" Carlos is only two years younger than the rest of us, but we give him a hard time about it every chance we get. That doesn't mean we are any smarter, though. He could most definitely pass our grade with flying colors. I guess there is a lot of study times in between his mom's hair coloring treatments. While the two of them stare daringly at each other, both oblivious to the world around them, two figures emerge from the side of the building.  
One from the mysterious pair, is dressed in a flowing, purple velvet dress, most likely taken from Auradon before we were all banned here. Her wild curls in addition to the dress, gives away the identity of the girl- Samantha, daughter of Ursula. The other person walking with her, is wearing a black leather jacket, and emeralds encrusted around the neck, is her twin brother, Eugene.  
I watch cautiously as they approach Jay and Carlos, who are still unaware of their presence. Eugene, who is two years ahead of us in school, leans into Jay, getting close to his ear. "Aw give baby Carlos his book back," he whines like a little kid.  
Jay defensively whips around, glaring at the two of them as they cackle maliciously. Our parents might be some of the most evil people on the Isle of the Lost, but with the kids- it's an even playing field. That was then, this is now. This is our time. "Go away, Eugene. Don't you have eels to play with?" Carlos is no longer happy and trying to get his book back, but is carefully keeping his distance, unless he is needed, he will stay there.  
"Nah, we ate them for breakfast. Because that's how evil we are. Unlike you four, whose parents' talents must've skipped a generation.  
From her brother's side, Samantha grabs the book from Jay's frozen hand. "Sixth grade potions, he really is a baby! Are you wearing a diaper too? Is Cruella paying you three to babysit him?"  
A flash of anger passes over Jay's face. No matter how bad we are supposed to be, nobody messes with our friends. Jay's hand comes from his side, and finds its way across Eugene's face.  
Evie and I try to suppress the laughter that struggles to come out after his reaction, but when the boy starts advancing back to Jay and Carlos, fear slowly takes over the happiness.  
I tap Evie's arm, and pull her up off the box we were perched on top of. Before we can get over there, though, Eugene is already throwing punches, his sister ripping pages from the book.  
"Hey!" Evie shouts, running over to Samantha and struggling to take to book back into her possession. I take Carlos' hand, helping him down from the top of the dumpster.  
Helplessly, I watch Jay and Eugene fight back and forth, each of them with scratches on their knuckles and blood doting their faces. Evie and Samantha are pulling the book back and forth, the torn pages flying around them in circular motions.  
"Mal, do something!" Carlos whispers in my ear. I rack my brain for something that could help us. I couldn't use a spell, there is no magic on the Isle. I can try and break up Jay and Eugene, but I might be taken down with them. My mind is racing a mile a minute... What to do, what to do. One second later, I am pushing myself in between the two boys, getting the impact of every blow. I try to keep myself from showing the pain for one reason only: pain is weakness.  
Finally, though, I am able to push Eugene to the ground, away from my friends but causing him to crash into his twin, taking them both down.  
Jay struggles against my restraints, "Stop it!" I shout to him, trying to get his attention off of the boy laying on the ground. A stream of blood is coming from his nose, anger lighting a fire behind his eyes. "Take a walk." I turn him by his shoulders and look back at Ursula's kids.  
"Get out of here, and next time, think twice about bothering one of us again."  
Samantha throws the practically ruined textbook onto the gravel underneath us, and pulls Eugene with her as they walk away.  
When the twins are far away from us, I return to Jay, who has been like my brother since we were five. I use the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the blood from his nose, examining the other cuts and some already forming bruises that mark up his face. "You can't keep going around beating people up, Jay," I say, not as reprimand but more as a friendly gesture. "One of these days everyone is going to gang up on us and that will not be good."  
"If they stopped picking on us, it wouldn't be a problem," taking my hand from his grasp, he looks at the dried blood lining the orange sleeve. He rolls his eyes, "This is great. Just. Freakin. Great."  
"I'm sorry, Jay. Sorry I couldn't help you..." Carlos speaks quietly from my side.  
Nobody can stay mad at sweet Carlos for long. He may not like it, but he is the baby of the group.

"Don't worry about it. Next time, we'll be ready."

 **How was it? Thank you for taking time to read it, and as always, reviews, suggestions, prompts, favorites, and follows are much appreciated and welcomed. Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **-KDanceWriteDream**


	3. Chapter 3

**So sorry for the wait! I am not exactly proud of this chapter but I wanted to get something up before New Year's. To the guest that asked for the kids ages last chapter, Mal, Evie, and Jay were 13 and Carlos was 11. Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows!**

 **Carlos**  
My hands slip and slide within the black rubber gloves, the hair dye staining the latex. I gently pull the comb through my mom's tangled curls, trying my best not to yank too hard- that would not be good.

"Make sure the streaks are even, Carlos, I don't want it looking like it is five different shades!" She instructs, even though I have been doing this since I could stand on a stack of books.

Regardless, I keep my eyes strained on the project, replying with a monotonous "Yes, mother." The mid afternoon sun struggles to flood the dreary living room in which we sit, black and red shades drawn tightly across the window. I can hear some of the younger kids playing in the square that our apartment overlooks, shouting to their friends as I am kept in here.

I have to remind myself that I am not like other kids, that I am different. Jay is different. Evie is different. Mal is different. We all are.

"Carlos press down harder! Make sure it's going through all of the way!" Her shouts wake me from my thoughts. I roll my eyes at her constant badgering, acting as if I have never dyed her hair before. No, it isn't my favorite thing to do, but do I really have a choice? I press the comb down harder, pulling the color from the tip of her roots to the bottom of each strand. I fold one inch sections into pieces of tinfoil sifted from the garbage shoots and reused for each treatments, and leaving them in so the color can set.

"I'll let them dry and then I'll be back, alright?" I ask hesitantly, stepping down from the chair I was perched upon. I pull the gloves off my hands, tossing them carelessly into the mildew covered sink and go through the kitchen, and into my room while my mom files her long, red and black nails.

Once in my room, I rub my face with my tired hands, stretching the fingers that are free from the rubber restraints. I tilt my head from side to side, a sigh of relief emerging from my lips when it cracks, the cramp that has been there for an hour no longer there.

"What are you doing, weirdo?" Slowly, I turn around to see the person who just spoke, even though I already know who it is. Right by the window, sitting in a chair that we found at one of the caravans is Jay. His red beanie is on the arm of the chair, his chin length hair pulled up in a bun on top of his head. "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to come in here."

"What am I doing? What are you doing?" I demand, whispering the questions so my mom doesn't hear. "If anybody finds out you are here…"

He gives me an incredulous look, "Nobody is going to find out. They never do," his attempt to mollify my anxiety is met by yet another eye roll. Nobody finds out because I always make him, or Mal, or Evie leave.

"You need to leave, I don't want you getting hurt," I push open the window, throwing the ladder made of tied together dish towels out into the open air. He grins, before jumping onto the mattress that is on the floor. "Jay, go!" I shout again, trying to grab his hand and pull him to the window.

"Come on, Carlos. My dad sent me out _again_ to find this stupid lamp that I obviously am never going to find. Just let me hang here for a while. Or you could come with me and go get Mal, Evie and totally run amuck through this island." I reach for him again, but he dodges my hand, which leads me to chasing him around the room.

He jumps over the furniture, landing lightly on the ground in time to continue running from me. I laugh giddily, leaping on top of his back as he spins around, trying to get me off. We soon forget where we are, acting just as the kids outside playing in the square were.

"Jay! Put me down!" I scream, but just as I do, I hear the familiar screech of the hinges that only occurs when my door is being opened.

I am lowered to the ground, and we stare into the eyes of my mother, knowing full well that we deserve everything that I am about to receive. I broke her number one rule- nobody in this house without her knowledge. She fears that someone will rope me into believing something that she does not, and she does not want that for then I will have someone on my side that is not her's. That could be problematic in the future when Cruella, Maleficent, Jafar, and the Evil Queen take over Auradon. Or that's the plan.

A malicious grin breaks out onto mom's face, "Oh Jay. You just wait until I talk with your father."

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to revew your questions, comments, or concerns for the story. Next chapter I am going to start a 2-3 part in which I explain what happened to Mal's father, or at least what I think happened.**

 **Thanks again!**

 **~KDanceWriteDream**


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